ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · wax · jam · ground · row · toast · wound · stand

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wound — an injury
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a match
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. row — a line
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com